SC clears confusion over reservation for SC/ST in PG medical sources

Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe candidates will have 15 per cent and 7.5 per cent seats respectively reserved in their favour in post-graduate medical courses under the Central Quota from the academic year 2007-08.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared the confusion over reservation for SC/ST candidates in PG medical courses under the Central Quota by allowing the Centre's plea in this regard.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan asked the Union Health Ministry to implement the SC/ST reservation as provided in the Constitution after none of the parties opposed the Centre's application seeking permission to give effect to it from the coming academic session.

The Centre had given an undertaking to the court last year during hearing of a PIL that it would implement the 22.5 per cent reservation for SC/ST students in the Central Quota from the academic year 2007-08.

A candidate had challenged the bulletin of information issued by Delhi University, which calculated the 22.5 per cent after deducting the 50 per cent seats from the central quota.

Centre and States share the seats in the proportion of 50:50 and as per the existing system reservation was provided only under the State Quota.

This was done in view of a Constitution Bench judgment in February 2005 directing that 50 per cent of All India Quota (Central Quota) should be exclusive of any reservation.
The petitioner had contended that the SC/ST candidates could not be deprived of their constitutionally guaranteed right to reservation in the Central Quota.

Conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the All India PG Entrance Examination 2007 was held on January 14.

As per the schedule approved by the apex court results would be declared in mid-February counseling would take place in May and the whole admission process is to be completed by June for commencement of the session in July.

Lot of confusion prevailed during the admission process to PG Medical courses last year. The Supreme Court passed an interim order for providing 10 per cent reservation to SC/ST candidates but later vacated it after the Centre undertook that reservation in All India quota would be implemented from 2007-08.